1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing system and a substrate processing method for performing predetermined processing on substrates including a semiconductor substrate, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a glass substrate for a photomask, a substrate for an optical disc, and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to an improvement for making the processing states of respective substrates processed in parallel substantially the same, and an improvement for making the substrate processing environments of respective substrate processing apparatuses substantially the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
A substrate processing apparatus performs successive surface preparation processes including a chemical process, a cleaning process and the like using various liquid chemicals and pure water (collectively referred to as a xe2x80x9cprocessing solutionxe2x80x9d). One of the processes known in the art is a polymer removal process after dry etching. For instance, the polymer removal process in a single-wafer type substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates one by one includes: (1) applying a liquid chemical to a substrate while spinning the substrate to modify a polymer residue which is part of a resist deposited on the bottom or side wall of a wiring pattern; and (2) applying pure water to the substrate while spinning the substrate to rinse off the modified polymer residue, thereby removing the polymer residue from the substrate. Since the single-wafer polymer removal process is performed on one substrate at a time, a plurality of processing units are conventionally used to perform the removal process in parallel in the light of improvements in throughput.
An approach to produce much more substrates is to purchase a new substrate processing apparatus to increase the number of substrate processing apparatuses. Purchase of a new substrate processing apparatus identical in hardware construction with an existing substrate processing apparatus having been in operation in a semiconductor factory allows the use of parameters (e.g., settings of a filter fan unit for forming a downflow in the substrate processing apparatus) of the existing apparatus as parameters required to set a substrate processing environment.
Even though the plurality of processing units are basically the same in construction, the specific constructions and functions of the units are not necessarily the same since the installation environments of the units are not completely the same. This might results in variations between processing results of the respective substrates. For example, when attention is focused on pipes for supplying a liquid chemical from a liquid chemical source to a plurality of processing units, the lengths of the pipes from the liquid chemical source to the plurality of processing units are not necessarily equal to each other. This might cause different values of liquid chemical discharge timing, liquid chemical discharge pressure, liquid chemical discharge amount, and the like if the same reference command value for discharge of the liquid chemical is sent to the plurality of processing units. This causes different processing conditions of the substrates in the respective processing units to result in variations between the processing results of the substrates even in the same lot.
The above-mentioned processing result variations also occur between substrate processing apparatuses. Specifically, even though the existing apparatus and the new apparatus are basically the same in construction, the specific constructions and functions of the substrate processing apparatuses are not necessarily the same since the installation environments of the substrate processing apparatuses are not completely the same. This might results in variations between processing results of the respective substrates. For example, when attention is focused on pipes for supplying a liquid chemical from a common liquid chemical source installed in the semiconductor factory to the existing apparatus and the new apparatus, the lengths of the pipes from the liquid chemical source to the plurality of substrate processing apparatuses are not necessarily equal to each other. This might cause different pressure values in the pipes of the liquid chemical from the liquid chemical source between the existing apparatus and the new apparatus. This causes different processing conditions of the substrates in the respective substrate processing apparatuses to result in the processing result variations.
The conventional solutions to the above-mentioned problems are as follows: To solve the problem of the processing result variations between the processing units, an operator of the substrate processing apparatus previously calculates correction amounts for the respective processing units by experiment or the like. Then, a control command value including a reference command value plus the correction amount is sent to each of the processing units to reduce the difference in processing state between the processing units, thereby suppressing the substrate processing result variations between the processing units.
To solve the problem of the processing result variations between the existing apparatus and the new apparatus, the operator previously calculates a correction amount which makes the substrate processing environments of the existing and new apparatuses substantially the same, based on parameters of the existing apparatus by experiment or the like, to make the substrate processing environments of the existing and new apparatuses substantially the same, thereby suppressing the substrate processing result variations.
However, because of the recent trends toward finer wiring patterns and more layers of wiring, substrate processing has been required to control the processing conditions more accurately than ever. In some types of the substrate processing, a change in substrate processing conditions such as a changeover might cause the difference in processing conditions between the processing units to be out of tolerance when the previously calculated correction amounts are used. Thus, the operator must calculate the correction amounts so as to reduce the difference between the processing units each time the substrate processing conditions are changed. This increases the time and labor for the operator to operate, resulting in the increase in manufacturing costs of semiconductor devices.
There is a need to accurately control not only the processing conditions of the processing units but also the processing conditions of the substrate processing apparatuses. Thus, the operator must calculate the correction amount which makes the substrate processing environments substantially the same more accurately. This increases the time and labor for the operator to operate, resulting in the increase in manufacturing costs of substrates.
The above-mentioned problems resulting from the difference in substrate processing conditions between the processing units and the difference in substrate processing environment between the substrate processing apparatuses are encountered not only in the polymer removal process but also in general substrate processing.
The present invention is intended for a substrate processing system.
According to the present invention, the substrate processing system comprises: a) a substrate processing apparatus having a plurality of processing units capable of processing substrates in parallel; and b) an information processor connected through a network to the substrate processing apparatus, the information processor including: b-1) a first sending part for transmitting a first reference value as a control command value for a substrate processing function to the plurality of processing units; b-2) a receiving part for receiving a plurality of measured values from the substrate processing apparatus, the plurality of measured values indicating respective substrate processing states in the plurality of processing units detected when the plurality of processing units are controlled in accordance with the first reference value transmitted as the control command value; b-3) a computing part for computing a plurality of correction amounts from the first reference value and the plurality of measured values, the plurality of correction amounts making the substrate processing states in the plurality of processing units substantially the same; and b-4) a first database for storing the plurality of correction amounts in association with the first reference value, the substrate processing apparatus including: a-1) a control part for controlling substrate processing in the plurality of processing units, based on the control command value transmitted from the information processor; a-2) a measuring part for obtaining the plurality of measured values; and a-3) a second sending part for transmitting the plurality of measured values to the information processor.
The substrate processing system can make the processing states in the respective processing units substantially the same while shortening the time for startup of the substrate processing apparatus and the time for changeover in substrate processing. Additionally, the system can improve the efficiency of management of the substrate processing.
Preferably, the computing part carries out new computation of the plurality of correction amounts unless the same reference value as the first reference value is stored in the first database.
This prevents the additional storage of the same correction amount in the first database while shortening the time to determine the plurality of correction amounts.
Preferably, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a-4) a second database for storing processing procedure data, and a-5) a selective sending part for selecting processing procedure data from the second database in response to a request from the information processor to transmit the selected processing procedure data to the information processor. The information processor further includes b-5) an extraction part for searching the first database for the first reference value equal to a second reference value included in the selected processing procedure data transmitted from the selective sending part to extract the plurality of correction amounts corresponding to the first reference value searched for. The first sending part transmits the second reference value corrected using the plurality of correction amounts as the control command value to the plurality of processing units, respectively.
This allows separate storage and management of the processing procedure data and the plurality of correction amounts to accomplish the control of the plurality of processing units by using the single processing procedure data.
The present invention is also intended for a method of processing substrates placed respectively in a plurality of processing units in parallel.
According to the present invention, the method comprises the steps of: a) transmitting a reference command value to the plurality of processing units to perform substrate processing; b) obtaining a plurality of measured values indicating respective processing states in the plurality of processing units detected in the step a); and c) computing a plurality of correction amounts from the reference command value and the measured values, the plurality of correction amounts making the processing states in the plurality of processing units substantially the same.
The method can make the processing states in the respective processing units substantially the same.
The present invention is also intended for a substrate processing system.
According to the present invention, the substrate processing system comprises: a) a substrate processing apparatus having a plurality of processing units capable of processing substrates in parallel; and b) an information processor connected through a network to the substrate processing apparatus, the information processor including: b-1) a first sending part for transmitting a first reference value as a control command value for a substrate processing function to the plurality of processing units; b-2) a receiving part for receiving a plurality of measured values from the substrate processing apparatus, the plurality of measured values indicating respective substrate processing states in the plurality of processing units detected when the plurality of processing units are controlled in accordance with the first reference value transmitted as the control command value; b-3) a computing part for computing a plurality of correction amounts from a specific measured value indicating a processing state in one of the plurality of processing units and the remainder of the measured values other than the specific measured value, the plurality of correction amounts making the substrate processing state in other than the one processing unit substantially the same as that in the one processing unit; and b-4) a first database for storing the plurality of correction amounts in association with the first reference value, the substrate processing apparatus including: a-1) a control part for controlling substrate processing in the plurality of processing units, based on the control command value transmitted from the information processor; a-2) a measuring part for obtaining the plurality of measured values; and a-3) a second sending part for transmitting the plurality of measured values to the information processor.
The substrate processing system can make the processing states in the respective processing units substantially the same while shortening the time for startup of the substrate processing apparatus and the time for changeover in substrate processing.
The present invention is also intended for a substrate processing system.
According to the present invention, the substrate processing system comprises: a) a first substrate processing apparatus; b) a second substrate processing apparatus connected through a network to the first substrate processing apparatus; and c) an information processor connected through the network to the first and second substrate processing apparatuses, the information processor including: c-1) a first database for storing a reference value as a control command value for controlling a substrate processing environment of the first substrate processing apparatus; c-2) a first sending part for transmitting the reference value stored in the first database as the control command value for controlling a substrate processing environment of the second substrate processing apparatus; c-3) a receiving part for receiving a measured value from the second substrate processing apparatus, the measured value indicating the substrate processing environment of the second substrate processing apparatus detected when the second substrate processing apparatus is controlled in accordance with the reference value transmitted from the first sending part; c-4) a computing part for computing a correction amount from the reference value transmitted from the first sending part and the measured value, the correction amount making the substrate processing environments of the first and second processing apparatuses substantially the same; and c-5) a second database for storing the correction amount in association with the reference value transmitted from the first sending part, the second substrate processing apparatus including: b-1) a control part for controlling an element in the second substrate processing apparatus, based on the control command value transmitted from the information processor; b-2) a measuring part for obtaining the measured value; and b-3) a second sending part for transmitting the measured value to the information processor.
The substrate processing system can make the substrate processing environments of the first and second substrate processing apparatuses substantially the same while shortening the time for startup of the second substrate processing apparatus.
Preferably, the information processor further includes c-6) an extraction part for extracting a corresponding correction amount from the second database, the corresponding correction amount being the correction amount corresponding to a select reference value selected as the reference value from the first database. The first sending part transmits the select reference value corrected using the corresponding correction amount as the control command value to the second substrate processing apparatus.
This allows the control of the substrate processing environments of the first and second substrate processing apparatuses by the use of the single reference value.
The present invention is also intended for a method of processing a substrate.
According to the present invention, the method comprises the steps of: a) transmitting a reference value transmitted as a control command value to a first substrate processing apparatus also to a second substrate processing apparatus to set a substrate processing environment of the second substrate processing apparatus; b) acquiring a measured value indicating the substrate processing environment of the second substrate processing apparatus detected when the second substrate processing apparatus is controlled using the reference value; and c) computing a correction amount for the reference value from the reference value and the measured value, the correction amount making the substrate processing environments of the first and second substrate processing apparatuses substantially the same.
The method can make the substrate processing environments of the first and second substrate processing apparatuses substantially the same while shortening the time for startup of the second substrate processing apparatus.
It is therefore a primary object, of the present invention to provide a substrate processing system including a substrate processing apparatus having a plurality of processing units for performing substrate processing in parallel and capable of making processing states in the respective processing units substantially the same by the use of a single reference command value, and a method therefor.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a technique for making substrate processing environments of respective substrate processing apparatuses substantially the same in a substrate processing system including the substrate processing apparatuses for performing the same substrate processing.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.